Excessive traveling wears you out but most importantly, messes up your sleep. On my last visit to Dubai, I felt exhausted from the jet lag and endless journeying so I decided to take a break to relax and detoxify my body and bring peace to my mind.
That’s when I remembered the YHI Spa at the Grand Melia in Rome and the great experience I had there. After a bit of searching, I discovered that there was a branch of the famous Spa in Dubai which I decided to visit.
The spa is cozy but has enough room for different treatments, hammams (bathing areas), relaxation points and a hair salon. The aromatic perfumes which greet you at the entrance hold a promise of the soothing atmosphere within and you know you can look forward to a really relaxing day.
A waiting area with black bamboo chairs contrasted with bright orange cushions are placed invitingly just as you walk in through the glass doors.
At the reception facing the entrance, a receptionist will give you a brief introduction about the spa and interview you with questions on your general health, pains, allergies or previous operations. I told her that I had pain in my back and shoulder and that I needed some time to relax.
The lady recommended ‘The Secrets of the Desert’ a 120-minute treatment which she said would be the cure for all my aches and pains. The treatment starts with 70 minutes of Moroccan Hammam treatment or sauna where the steam opens up the pores getting the skin ready for scrubbing. The beautician then uses a special Moroccan loofah to gently scrub off the dead skin and wash it with a specially made Moroccan soap. Later, she applied a full body mask to help nourish the skin and revitalize it. She also applied Rasul powder, a specially formulated powder on the face and the hair to cleanse it.
The grand finale of this treatment is the 50-minute Aroma Therapy Massage in the spa’s Color Therapy Dry Flotation Bed where you lie down on a waterbed which changes color from time to time. It gives the feeling that the colors change in sync with your feelings and emotions. It is an amazing experience. I have to say that I was so relaxed and my skin felt as smooth as a baby’s.
Lucia, my masseuse is Spanish and knew exactly what I wanted. She let me shut my eyes for a bit after the treatment so I could take in the heavenly feeling for a little while longer.
She recommended that I take this treatment every month to ensure a smooth glowing skin and of course make the time to relax and enjoy myself.
I browsed through the menu to see what else the spa had to offer and found the Luxury Diamond Facial Lift which I had experienced in Rome. This facial is the latest generation of skin care formulas which have an extraordinary lift and balance achieved through the application of diamond crystals on the face. The treatment combines different massage techniques to restore and tone the facial muscles.
The list of extraordinary treatments goes on and I am going to visit the spa again to try their different body scrubs and body wraps including the Jasmine Rice Scrub, Bamboo Scrub, the Slimming Chocolate, the Caprice of Honey heated wrap and the Detox wrap.
As for the rituals, I would definitely go back for the Desert Delight. You should never leave without trying the Secrets of the Desert or the Queen of the Desert Package which are full of surprises.
The spa also offers the Turkish Hammam treatments, which are slightly different from the Morrocan, but they give the same results. One of the best things about the spa is that when you are done with your treatments, you can get your hair and nails done and you are good to go.
Next time you are in Dubai, you must visit the spa and try their amazing treatments. And do ask for Lucia: She is highly recommended.
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